Mick's GeekBlog

Snow Day

Posted by Mick on March 3, 2010 – 5:45 pm

This would appear to be a new blog entry, but it isn’t. I actually wrote this on Feb 23rd, and I forgot to post it. I thought I had posted it, but no, I did not post it. So while it may have appeared that I missed a day of blogging, I technically did not miss a day. I did blog, I just didn’t post it. I’m posting it now, because I wrote it and it needs to be read. I will then sit down and write something new for today, because I must. It’s a duty. Or a sickness. Your call.

I realized something today.

That’s a big thing for me. Any day where I realize something is a good day. I like to realize things. There are few things I love as much as the “Aha” moment. Something you’ve always known, or done, without really thinking about it comes clear. It doesn’t even have to be something big.

Today, I realized why I hate snow. If you had asked me, I would have said I’ve always hated snow, for as long as I can remember. But looking back, I’m almost positive I liked playing in the snow as a kid. I don’t remember, and it’s not like I ever had that much fun – we never had much snow.

I just realized something! Twice in one day, that’s rather kick-ass. I’m watching The Simpsons (most every day at 6:30, it’s a ritual), and Bart locks Milhouse in an abandoned locker. They then make a joke where-in Cletus (the slack jawed yokel) mistakes the locker for an outhouse from the future. And uses it. They even have Milhouse say “Hey, I’m in here”. Cletus thinks the toilet is talking to him, and goes on with his business. This for me is the scene that defines the difference between The Simpsons and Southpark. The Simpsons will make a joke about an adult defecating on a child. Southpark would make that joke as well. The Simpsons just left it there. It was never mentioned again. Southpark would have, and I think this is important, dealt with the outcome. If Cartman locked Kyle in a locker and Mr Garrison, shall we say, relieved himself, Kyle would most likely have something to say about it later. Or we’d see him deal with the serious psychological trauma this might cause.

Both make the joke. One sells the joke. I’m not saying that one is better than the other. I have mad respect for both shows. I’m just saying… that’s the difference.

But I was talking about snow. And how I hate it. I realized today that I don’t actually hate snow. I don’t like it, it’s cold and wet and annoying, but if I could ski on it or sled on it I wouldn’t mind it so much. What I hate is the way everyone talks about the snow. It was snowing. I could see it was snowing. I didn’t need to be told it was snowing. Thousands of time. Every conversation did not need to be about snow. People loved the snow. People hated the snow. People wouldn’t shut up about the snow. I’m exaggerating. That doesn’t change my point. My dislike of snow is intensified by my dislike of people talking about the snow.

When it comes to bird nutrition, the common housefly has a calcium to phosphorous ratio that is the closest to perfect of any insect. Except the cricket. I learned that from Dirty Jobs tonight. I told you it was educational.